Processing facilities are often managed using process control systems. Such systems provide control and monitoring functions to operators of the processing facilities. Example processing facilities include manufacturing plants, chemical plants, crude oil refineries, and ore processing plants. Among other operations, process control systems typically manage the use of motors, valves, and other industrial equipment in the processing facilities.
In conventional process control systems, device controllers are often used to monitor and/or control one or more processes. Such device controllers typically operate as part of a level of applications in a process control and monitoring system referred to as the ‘control’ level. The device controllers could, for example, monitor the operation of the industrial equipment, provide control signals to the industrial equipment, and generate alarms when malfunctions are detected or when measured process variables meet predefined criteria. Conventional process control systems are often responsible for monitoring and controlling numerous process variables, which generally represent characteristics of the process being monitored and controlled. Process variables typically include measurable process characteristics, as well as calculated values (which are often based on measurable process characteristics) used during process control.
Information relating to measurable process characteristics, controllable process characteristics, and the state of the process being controlled or monitored are displayed to human operators of the system. The operators are responsible for attending and responding to status and alarm displays generated by the process control systems.